Visually Speaking: Mastering Photography as a Visual Language

by Ted Forbes

Dedicated to mastering photography as a visual language, this book helps you explore what to shoot and how to understand your own work. With 21 detailed chapters on photography techniques and practices, Forbes teaches you not only to establish yourself as a photographer, but how to create a legacy

Ted Forbes produces The Art of Photography, the most popular YouTube channel on photography, providing a 360-degree look into the world of image making. Forbes’ passion is to help amateurs, artists, and professionals alike gain new skills. Forbes calls on his expertise to instruct you on how to take pictures, and carefully walks readers through composition, lighting, exposure, contrast, color, alignment, balance, repetition, cameras, lenses, and more. Rising above a simple photography skills handbook, Forbes also offers advice on commitment, integrity, what it means to be an artist, and navigating the social media landscape.

Ted Forbes’ award-winning work centers around photography education. He has worked with many of the most renowned photographers of our generation as part of his Artist Series project, including Keith Carter, Harold Feinstein, Laura Wilson, Alexey Titarenko, Graciela Iturbide, Lourdes Grobet, William Wegman, David Brookover, and Pedro Meyer. He has also collaborated with companies including Apple, Leica, Hasselblad, Sony, Nikon, Canon, and Fujifilm.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art

360 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2024

Reviews

[Matthew Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to express acknowledgement and grateful thanks to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press publishing for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC: 'Visually Speaking — Mastering Photography as a Visual Language by Ted Forbes. All opinions are my own and are not a reflection of the publishers and/or author, of which I have no association with.

Five out of five stars (5/5 stars).

Of all the photography books this is the one that will be forever useful to me.

"Dedicated to mastering photography as a visual language, this book helps you explore what to shoot and how to understand your own work. With 21 detailed chapters on photography techniques and practices, Forbes teaches you not only to establish yourself as a photographer, but how to create a legacy" — the blurb from the official NetGalley website.

Teb Forbes is one hell of a teacher. This is the book that I should have been reading while doing my photography diploma as I spent most of the time absolutely clueless to what the tutors wanted from me. I was always left doubting myself and my work because I didn't understand what they were asking of me. After reading this, happily and easily, I have finally learned what they were trying to teach me while still retaining my own style and aesthetic.

I struggled with my course because I already had creativity and they wanted me to stop it and just do what they wanted without properly teaching us what it meant. We were given links and were expected to understand it and take it in. Well it didn't work for me, but this was incredibly helpful.

The author has spent a lot of time thinking about what makes a photographer and what separated them from people that just point and click.

This is a book that I'm going to buy and read multiple times over. I can't wait to purchase it in Kindle so that I can leave notes and examples in it as I learn more things and find world experiences of the skills talked about.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in photography, and fine arts.
Those five stars have been well earned.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish a book like this was available when I took my first university level photography course in the early 2010’s. Great book that talks clearly and succinctly about the art of photography.

The author’s former experience as an educator shines through: they know how to quickly get to the point and expertly explain why visual communication works on a human level and why it matters.

They have a demonstrable passion for the practice of photography - the goal of this book is to encourage the reader to think about what they want to communicate and create meaningful photographic art in the process. This requires intention and effort versus just pointing the camera aimlessly (especially without at least a creative crop in post production.)

From a young age the author notably had access to experts in the commercial art and photography industry (they probably unconsciously internalised what made quality work at a young age). They pepper excerpts of their interactions with these renowned experts - effortlessly connecting them to the wider book themes.

It is refreshing to hear you don’t need the “best” equipment to make good photography. It is fun and enjoyable reading their approach to creativity - especially using different vintage cameras. They encourage the reader to see equipment challenges/limitations as learning opportunities.

Chapters are clearly and logically outlined. Great photography is depicted and shown at the appropriate times to further the narrative and demonstrate aspects of what and why they work to create a quality composition. Relevant and useful to beginner photographers and even intermediate/professional photographers who want some fresh creative encouragement from a peer.

Thank you #NetGalley and #CiderMillPress for an eCopy of #VisuallySpeaking to review.

[The Bookish Chimera - Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Photography is a visual language –a universal and very powerful language.”

I have many Photography books on my shelves, as my camera was for a very long time my only way to express myself, but Visually Speaking is not like any of these.
If you are looking for a “technical manual” this is clearly not the right book. This one is more about finding your voice, and if it talks about the ways you can do it, it’s always related to how to communicate an idea, and not in scientific or setting point of views. I truly enjoyed that decision, and I wish more “how-to-books” were built this way –no matter the Art into consideration. The focus here is the emotion, the idea the photograph wants to express, the sense of the image. It’s not about technique, it’s about meaning.
I also loved the pictures (from the author, but also from other photographs) the author chose as examples. They were a guide to think about, but also gorgeous –the quality of the paper being a great help too.
That book came to me when I needed it the most as it mentions the “writer block for photographers”. That’s the first time I’ve heard about it, but that’s also something I’m experiencing very much for a couple of years. Reading it, reading the whole book, gave me a new motivation to take my camera. For that, I’m grateful

[Paul Tocatlian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Photography isn’t just about taking pictures—it’s a language of its own. In Visually Speaking: Mastering Photography as a Visual Language, Ted Forbes explores how composition, color, focal length, and symbolism shape the way we communicate through images.

If you follow The Art of Photography on YouTube, you already know Ted doesn’t just teach photography—he challenges you to see differently. His insights changed my own journey, inspiring my first zine, The Street Is My Studio, and later my book, The Melbourne Portraits Project.

At 364 pages, Visually Speaking is more than a guide—it’s a conversation. Ted urges photographers to go beyond technique and find their own voice. Why do certain images resonate? What story are we really telling? How can photography communicate beyond what’s visible?

This book is an invitation to think, feel, and create with intention—because great photography isn’t just about better pictures. It’s about making images that mean something. Highly recommended.

You can read my full review here: https://kisau.com/2024/12/28/ted-forb...

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary book, "Visually Speaking" isn't just a dissertation on making great photography. This book explains, step by step, important elements to grow as a photographer, guiding the reader through the development of how to think as a photographer, considering elements from composition to equipment to how to think like a photographer and be creative beyond the traditional rules typically learned by those learning photography.

"Visually Speaking" also is illustrated with excellent photography by the author. I've been a photographer a long time, and I found myself nodding along to much of Ted Forbes' advice, taking time to contemplate other things, and, like so many great works, being inspired by this great book. Well worth the time of anyone who has an interest in the art of photography!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually Speaking is just what I needed to get out of a photography rut. It's not your average book on photography focusing on technique. This one is more philosophical; good to read if you're in a rut, want to go in a different direction, or just expand your craft. Forbes also mentions tons of photographers so if you're like me and are out of the loop, you'll have lots of names to research. I actually went to buy it after I finished reading and it looks like it isn't available right now. Hopefully it comes back in stock soon.
I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be informative and thought provoking. I’ve read many photography books, some I did not agree with, some were good, and some that were excellent. This book I would put in the excellent camp. The difference between good and excellent, to me, typically boils down to is the author just offering tips and tricks or am I learning solid fundamentals. Although this does include some tips and tricks, it really focuses on foundational concepts.

Beyond the content, I really enjoyed the quality of the book and the print quality of the images.

[Grof J. Kešetović · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well rounded book that takes photography talk to a more artistic level and discusses the vision and artistic personality of each photograph rather than the creation of each. I do feel maybe a bit more information on the photos in book would be great as I felt many of the photos I liked lacked info on where and how they were taken - it’s a personal preference but I like to have information added instead of gleaming at the purity of the image at times.

[Maude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a work of art in itself, and will most definitely be on my bookshelves at some point this year. I've learned a lot by reading this book, and putting that knowledge into practice, and will recommend it to my photography club. This would be a great gift to any aspiring photographer in your friend group!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced reader copy.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic resource on the art of photography, offering comprehensive coverage of every aspect of the craft. Packed with stunning images that beautifully illustrate each topic, it’s both informative and inspiring. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in pursuing photography as a hobby or a career.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photographs and clear explanations of everything photography.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Photography book with beautiful pictures and some insight into photography thrown in.

[Tom M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very pleased by the promise of this title that claimed to be different and to provide the reader with the tools and the structure to improve their skills in visual communication. It's true that many books focus on the technical handling of a camera, but only a few provide the foundations to understanding the artistic language, let alone developing the necessary skills to find one's own voice.

I wish the book were better organized, though. It's a succession of chapters that don't seem to follow any particular logic: what to shoot (subject), negative space (composition), black and white, colour, focus, focal length (mostly technical considerations), syntax, balance, composition (back to composition), symbolism, metaphor, context (back to subject)... Structure is important, especially in a book about visual communication.

The chapters are well written and clear, and they are illustrated by many photographs, most of which are the author's - they generally have no caption, but a list of titles and dates is provided in an appendix.

However, I found the content quite uneven, especially after the first third of the book. For example, when the author visits items of composition for the first time in chapter 6, The Figure / Ground Relationship, the last sections on important topics like balance, emphasis, hierarchy, perspective, scale, and depth seem to be expedited in a couple of short paragraphs facing an uncommented photograph. This is followed by a one-page chapter on negative space (facing another unexplained photograph.

From then on, the rhythm seems to unravel: some topics are long, some are short, they have sometimes one illustrating photograph, sometimes a long burst of photographs. Some of those topics beg for more, and I would have liked them to be developed further.

That is not to say there aren't gems to be found in that journey; some topics or even whole chapters are very inspiring, and many photographs are a delight to discover.

But since the topics follow many of the author's videos, which are very well explained and filled with examples for the most part, I was expecting to find something at least as elaborated here. I'm not annoyed that almost all the photographs are his own, but it would have helped a lot if they were commented in the scope of their respective topics. At least some of them. A number clearly either look like an example of what not to do or seem unrelated, which is fine but confusing without as much as a few words. Indeed, there are a few photographs that are commented at the beginning of the book, but that helpful feature is unfortunately dropped after the first chapters, leaving the reader wandering on their own.

I didn't find that book to be so "different", either. After all, even if there are a few more paragraphs on the notions of elements and their syntax, many of the topics on composition, subject, story, and the supportive technical aspects can be found in a book like Ben Long's Complete Digital Photography, notwithstanding the technical shortcomings of that book. So perhaps a part of my disappointment came from building the expectation too much.

It remains a very interesting book, and perhaps the promise of an outstanding 2nd edition, as there is a lot of material in there for that.


NOTE: The publisher is Whalen Studios Editions. There is no mention of Cedar Mill Press anywhere, though that other publisher may also have this book in its catalogue.